Ankle-brace for skaters



(No Model)` E. M. THBBIAY. ANKLI:V BRAGE PoR Ys1Lf.x.ilBRs,.

No. 584,731. .Patented June 15, 18Q'7` Trice.

EDVARD M. THEBIAY, OF VOOLSTGK, IOVA.

AN KLE-BRACE FOR SKATERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,731, dated June 15,1897.

Application tiled March 24, 1896. Serial No. 584,691. (No model.)

To all whom, if may con/cern,.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. THEBIAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Woolstock, in the county of Vright and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Ankle- Brace for Skaters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an ankle-brace for skaters, and has for itsobject to provide means for relieving the ankle of the skater fromlateral strain without depriving it of the necessary freedom ofmovement; to provide means for adjusting the brace to insure thenecessary stiffness, and thus afford greater or less support, as may berequired, and, furthermore, to provide efiicient.. and durable means forconnecting the brace to the skate and t the ankle of the wearer, theattachment to the former being such as to adapt it for application to askate of the ordinary construction without previous preparation.

Further objectsand advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description', and the novel features thereof will beparticularlyT pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a brace constructedin accordance extremity of the brace to the ankle strap or band. Figs.6, 7, 8, and 9 are detail views in perspective of different forms ofbars einployed as braces. Fig. 10 is a detail View showing a forin ofbracket which is used in connection with a brace of roundedcross-sectional construction. Fig. 11' is a detail View showing amodified construction of means for fastening the ankle strap or band.Fig. 12

is a detail transverse section of the lower portion of the brace shownin Fig. 7 contiguous to the offset to show the concavity thereof.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

To the outer side of the runner 1 of a skate is pivotall y attached thelower extremity of a spring-metal brace 2, consisting of a bar which mayvary in cross-sectional construction, as hereinafter explained, the formshown in Fig. 1 being flat with an approximately right-angled orslightly obtuse offset 3 below the plane of the heel-rest 4. of theskate to carry the body portion of the brace beyond the line of theouter side of the shoe of the wearer, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

This brace is also provided contiguous to its upper extremity with asimilar offset 5,

which extendsinwardly to arrange the tongue 6 at the end of the bracecontiguous to the outer side of the ankle of the wearer, said offset 5being above the ankle bone or joint. This tongue or upper extremity ofthe brace fits for free movement in a keeper '7,'which is adapted to besecured by suitable means to j the leg of the wearer above the ankle,and said keeper preferably consists of a securingplate 8,fr0in whichprojects the lateral bracket 9, having a plurality of seats 10 arrangedat different distances from the plane of the plate. Either of theseseats is adapted to receive the upper extremity of the brace to vary thetension of the spring and thus the resistance offered thereby to thelateral bending of the ankle. The seats 10 are of greater length,parallel with the length of the skate, than the width of the engagingportion of the brace, whereby the latter is allowed freedom of Inovementforwardly and rearwardly in the seats to permit forward and rearwardrocking movement of the ankle.

Various means for securing the lower extremity of the spring-brace tothe runner of a skate may be employed, but in Figs. l, 2, and 3 I haveshown means for application to a runner which is not perforated to adaptthe brace for use in connection with any ordinary form of skate. In thisconstruction I use a bifurcated or forked clamp 1l, of which the arms 11and 11b are respectively provided with an inwardly extending projectionor trunnion 12 and a threaded aperture 13 for the reception of aset-screw 14. This clamp is adapted to straddle the rear end of therunner with the trunnion 12, upon which is iitted the perforated lowerextremity of the springbrace, in contact with one side surface and theextremity of the set-screw 14 in contact with the opposite side surface.

When a skate is manufactured with the brace applied as a permanent partthereof, a shouldered pivot-screw 15, as shown in Fig. et, is employed,the same extending through a perforation 1G in the skate-runner andbeing engaged at the opposite side of the latter by a nut 17.

The means which I have shown for attaching the keeper to the ankle ofthe wearer consists of a strap or band 18, to which the securing-plate 8is attached by rivets, and said strap or band is adapted to be providedwith an adjusting device 19, consisting of a buckle, as shown in Fig. 1,or lacing 20, as shown in Fig. 11.

In Figs. G to i), inclusive, I have shown different forms ofspring-braces. In Fig. 6 the brace is cross-sectionally flat, asillustrated in Fig. 1. In Fig. 7 the brace is also crosssectionally flatwith its lower portion contiguous to the offset strengthened byconcaving at its outer side. This also reduces the width of the brace atthispoint and diminishes the risk of contact therewith of the foot ofthe skater. In Fig. 8 is shown a crosssectionally round brace, and inFig. 9 a similar brace is provided with an enlarged or thickened lowerend to increase the strength contiguous to the offset.

An ankle-brace constructed as described is adapted not only forbeginners and for those having weak ankles, but also for the generalskater, inasmuch as it relieves the ankle of lateral strain and avoidsthat exertion which isnecessary to maintain the ankle in its properposition, and hence the device, as described, is of advantage to skatersdesiring to make extended trips.

The ankle is allowed freedom of movement forwardly and rearwardly, inthe first place because of the pivotal connection of its lower end withthe skate-runner, and in the second place because of the looseness oflit between its upper extremity and the keepers, and the tension of thespring may be varied to provide the desired lateral resistance byarranging the upper extremity of the brace in different seats in thekeeper. The rolling of the ankle laterally is also provided for by thesliding action between the brace and the ankle-band and the yielding ofthe spring.

Various changes in the form,4 proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination witha resilient anklebrace adapted to be pivotally connected to the side ofa skate, of a keeper provided with a plurality of seats to receive theupper end of the brace, and means for securing the keeper to the leg ofthe wearer above the ankle-joint, said seats being spaced apartlaterally whereby the tension of the brace-bar may be varied by theengagement thereof with different seats, substantially as speciiied.

2. An ankle-brace for skaters provided at its upper end with means forattachment to the side of the leg of the wearer above the ankle-joint,and attaching devices for the lower end of the brace including a forkedclamp adapted to straddle the rear end of a skate-runner and having onearm provided with a trunnion perpendicular to the plane of theskate-runner for the lower end of the brace and having the other armprovided with a set-screw to bear against the opposite side of therunner, substantially as speciiied.

The combination of a laterally-resilient brace adapted to be pivotallyattached at its lower end to the side of a skate-runner, a keeper havinga lateral seat for the reception of the upper extremity of the brace,and means, as a band or strap, for securing the keeper to the outside ofthe leg of a wearer above the ankle-joint, said brace having lateraloutward offsets contiguous to its upper and lower extremities to avoidcontact at intermediate points with the ankle of the wearer,substantially as specilied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDVARD M. TIIEBIAY.

Witnesses:

W. P. OWENS, F. PINDHoN.

